The placement of an endotracheal tube is crucial to the bilateral ventilation of a patient's lungs. Endotracheal tape, when used in conjunction with an endotracheal tube, assures proper placement of an endotracheal tube by securing the tube to the facial and/or neck area of a patient. Thus, endotracheal tape prevents endotracheal tube slippage or inadvertent extubation (inadvertent removal of the tube delivering life sustaining medical gases).
In current practice, caregivers utilize either cloth adhesive tape or a cloth fabric material having a Velcro securing device for securement of an endotracheal tube. However, several problems arise when using either of these arrangements. First, in using the cloth tape, as the need arises, caregivers locate a roll of cloth adhesive tape, tear a strip off, lay the strip on a table top and proceed to fabricate the securing tape (the end product) by cutting or tearing the tape to suit the situation. A problem with this "on the spot" fabrication is the loss of valuable time as a result of having to locate a roll of suitable tape. Furthermore, the tape will occasionally stick to itself resulting in an additional loss of time as another strip is cut and subsequently fabricated to suit the situation. Second, in using the cloth fabric having a Velcro securing device, the fabric often becomes saturated with secretions. Furthermore, the Velcro securing device often fails to adhere in both initial application and in reapplication following repositioning. Replacement of this type of device is not cost effective since the apparatus, due to the Velcro securing device, must be specially manufactured and ordered in quantities. Finally, the packaging makes the apparatus bulky such that caregivers do not consistently carry the device and consequently, a device may not be available in the event of emergency intubation.